Where I almost put my eye out

[jetfire]

Adventures of an ADHD Gunsmith.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztgdVrd2ZZY

The part where I shoot a spring into the air and scare myself in the worst way possible is around 27:30.

[Shokr21]

I'll admit to only watching the minute surrounding your close call.

The look on your face was priceless! Good call on the Eye-pro

[Jason F]

I'll admit to only watching the minute surrounding your close call.

The look on your face was priceless! Good call on the Eye-pro

Guilty of the same...

And yes, the look on your face was incredible!!

[rsa-otc]

Them springs will getcha everytime!

[JodyH]

I launched the rebound slide spring installing a Apex kit in a J-frame... similar surprised look.
I put small spring loaded stuff together inside a gallon zip-lock bag now.
:cool:

[Spr1]

Springs and spring loaded parts have no muzzle discipline. And, typically when you are futzing with them, you are looking really intently and closely at what you are doing. Bad recipe without eye pro.

[Tamara]

The part where I shoot a spring into the air and scare myself in the worst way possible is around 27:30.

This is nothing other than Fate's commentary on you shooting a *hawwwwkkk... SPIT!* Ruger.

"But, Tamara!" you say, "It's modern! It doesn't have a sideplate! The lockwork forks up into the frame!"

Yeah? Well, that's what you get for shooting a wheelgun with forked-up lockwork. :p

[Odin Bravo One]

It takes a big man (well, not talking about being tall) to shoot a Ruger.

It takes an even bigger man (again, not talking about being tall here) to admit to making an error or two.

What impresses me the most, besides your imposing mass, is that you are willing to air it out for others to hopefully learn from the lessons you learned.

If I had a camera, and bothered to record my home gunsmithing fiasco's, none would be playable here due to the language/content restrictions. Lots and lots of gratuitous profanity. Throwing tools. Like a 2 year olds tantrum. Pretty much any time I break any gun down beyond a field strip. That, and lot's of looking up YouTube videos of how to get them back together.

I'll admit that I tuned right into the moment of facial expression infamy, and had a good chuckle at your expense.

Thanks for sharing, and curing my urge to ever film my workshop disasters.

[ford.304]

This is nothing other than Fate's commentary on you shooting a *hawwwwkkk... SPIT!* Ruger.

"But, Tamara!" you say, "It's modern! It doesn't have a sideplate! The lockwork forks up into the frame!"

Yeah? Well, that's what you get for shooting a wheelgun with forked-up lockwork. :p

Serious question - what is wrong with Ruger wheelguns? Besides the factory trigger...

I see loads and loads of fanboy love for Smiths, but almost none for Rugers. My limited experience shooting both, aside from Ruger's godawful factory trigger (which can be fixed for much less than the price difference between a Ruger and a new Smith)... I don't see what the big difference is?

Granted, I'm relatively new to shooting, so I'm sure there's some history here I'm missing...

[Tamara]

Serious question - what is wrong with Ruger wheelguns?

Nothing, really. At least for me, it's just a Ford/Chevy thing (and something to tease Caleb about.)

The differences among the three major American manufacturers of double action revolvers are minor and often completely subjective. (For instance, Rugers are generally stronger and concomitantly bigger.)

[NEPAKevin]

Serious question - what is wrong with Ruger wheelguns? Besides the factory trigger...



It is similar to arguing AR vs AK. Comparing competing models, Rugers have a stronger frame but the S&Ws are lighter and have rounded edges. Pre-MIM S&Ws did have a better fit and finish, but not so much with newer models. S&Ws get a lot more support in the way of accessories as there are just more of them. Rugers have a lower retail price but S&Ws tend to do better at holding their resale. S&Ws have a longer history of use with law enforcement and military and are more widely used for competition. One other argument, which has nothing to do with the guns themseves, is from a political POV, that Bill Ruger, Sr. "screwed over" the shooting community re. the AWB but then S&W while owned by a UK interest "sold out" to the Clinton administration. However, Bill Ruger, Sr. is dead and S&W is no longer owned by Tompkins PLC.

PS - you are slightly less likely to poke your eye out while working on a S&W trigger but may need more specialized tools to do so.

[Slavex]

I have two close friends who've launched guide rods through computer monitors and one who took out his big screen tv with something from a rifle he was working on. eyeglasses and bullet proof surroundings are a good idea when working on guns.

tip for finding those springs and bits when they disappear, rare earth magnets stuck onto your vacuum nozzle.

[archangel]

I put small spring loaded stuff together inside a gallon zip-lock bag now.)

I was doing that once, I think it was with an AR pivot pin detent, when the part launched, ricocheted off the inside of the bag, came out of the bag, past my head, and landed somewhere out in the room behind me. Thanks, bag. Big help you were.

[Tamara]

I was doing that once, I think it was with an AR pivot pin detent, when the part launched, ricocheted off the inside of the bag, came out of the bag, past my head, and landed somewhere out in the room behind me. Thanks, bag. Big help you were.

I like the disassembly box Xavier uses here (http://xavierthoughts.blogspot.com/2006/07/cracking-open-smith-wesson.html). Someday, when I get organized, I'm going to have a setup like that.

[jslaker]

I love that the flying spring was immediately preceded by "Actually, I just had the best idea..."

[jetfire]

American Revolver guideline from a non-biased source:

Smith & Wesson: Best for custom action tuning. Modern ones are full of MIM in places I don't want MIM.
Ruger: Generally built like a tank. Tend to develop absurd amounts of endshake when shot a lot. Makes a good boat anchor.
Colt: f*** you S&W, our cylinder rotates in the different direction and...oh s*** the gun's timing is off again.

[ford.304]

Nothing, really. At least for me, it's just a Ford/Chevy thing (and something to tease Caleb about.)

The differences among the three major American manufacturers of double action revolvers are minor and often completely subjective. (For instance, Rugers are generally stronger and concomitantly bigger.)

Ford/Chevy I can understand ;-)

[jetfire]

I love that the flying spring was immediately preceded by "Actually, I just had the best idea..."

I was definitely tempting fate with that one.

[WyoXd]

Great video Caleb! It's like watching myself gunsmith. You so brought back a memory of disassembling my XD a couple years ago!

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

[BWT]

It takes a big man (well, not talking about being tall) to shoot a Ruger.

It takes an even bigger man (again, not talking about being tall here) to admit to making an error or two.

What impresses me the most, besides your imposing mass, is that you are willing to air it out for others to hopefully learn from the lessons you learned.

If I had a camera, and bothered to record my home gunsmithing fiasco's, none would be playable here due to the language/content restrictions. Lots and lots of gratuitous profanity. Throwing tools. Like a 2 year olds tantrum. Pretty much any time I break any gun down beyond a field strip. That, and lot's of looking up YouTube videos of how to get them back together.

I'll admit that I tuned right into the moment of facial expression infamy, and had a good chuckle at your expense.

Thanks for sharing, and curing my urge to ever film my workshop disasters.

Are we the same person? I do the same other than profanity. After a couple of really solid tries, if I can't make a part fit... I go defeated up to the gunsmith. Some projects though, these days... I just look at, open it up, start watching a youtube video and say "...I'm good." and take it to the gunsmith.

ETA: As a side note, the video was good, thanks for sharing.

[David Armstrong]

I launched the rebound slide spring installing a Apex kit in a J-frame... similar surprised look.
I put small spring loaded stuff together inside a gallon zip-lock bag now.
:cool:
Yep. An old armorers trick many of us have learned about the hard way<G>! Not only does it save an eye, it also reduces the likelihood of having to spend two hours crawling around on the floor while you hunt for a spring that got away!

[Chuck Haggard]

The first armorer class I ever went to was for the 3rd gen S&W pistols. On the "YOU MUST BRING!!!!!!!" list of stuff was safety glasses.

I though; "WTF?"

The class pistols we were issued were the 1006 model. The 10mm has a rather stout non-captive recoil spring assembly.

Right off the bat a dude let one of those go and shot the guide rod across the room, the rod went right through the sheetrock wall and was lost inside the wall cavity.

[jetfire]

I once shattered a vase with a Beretta guide rod. I always wear safety glasses when working with semi-autos, but for some reason when I was playing with the Ruger I decided to be an idiot.

[TGS]

Right off the bat a dude let one of those go and shot the guide rod across the room, the rod went right through the sheetrock wall and was lost inside the wall cavity.

So apparently the 1006 has a field expedient projectile option for when you run out of ammo. :cool:

[Wes Peart]

The back room of the gun shop where I used to work probably has dozens of detent springs laying behind work benches and/or embedded in the ceiling. Many times we had to hurriedly cannibalize parts from junk guns or AR LPK's to replace springs in various customer guns that ricocheted off 3 different walls before disappearing LOL. Good times. A 1911 firing pin will take your eye out if you slip while trying to slide the FPS back on.

[Chuck Haggard]

So apparently the 1006 has a field expedient projectile option for when you run out of ammo. :cool:

That was our theory.